If you walk through NoMa today, it’s all glass, steel, and high-end yoga studios. But standing at 64 New York Avenue is a different beast entirely. It’s an massive, somewhat imposing structure that bridges the gap between D.C.’s industrial past and its current status as a data-heavy government town. Honestly, it's one of those buildings you probably drive past every day without realizing that it houses the literal brains of the city's infrastructure.
It’s big.
Nearly 450,000 square feet big. While the neighborhood around it—North of Massachusetts Avenue—has transformed into a luxury residential playground, this specific address has remained a steadfast fortress for government operations and massive-scale data management.
The Weird History of the Warehouse
Originally, this wasn't some high-tech hub. Decades ago, 64 New York Avenue NE served as a warehouse for the Government Printing Office (GPO). Think about the sheer volume of paper that moves through this city. It was a utilitarian space, designed for weight and durability, which, as it turns out, is exactly what you need if you're going to fill a building with heavy server racks and cooling systems later on.
The floors were built to handle incredible loads. That’s a detail most people overlook. When the city started looking for a place to house the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), they didn't need a pretty office with floor-to-ceiling windows; they needed a bunker with a huge power supply.
The conversion wasn't just a fresh coat of paint. It was a massive overhaul. They had to pull in fiber optic lines that could handle the data flow of an entire district government. They needed redundant power systems because if 64 New York Avenue goes dark, the city’s digital services start to wobble. It’s the kind of infrastructure that is invisible until it stops working, and then it’s the only thing anyone talks about.
Who Actually Works There?
It’s a mix. You’ve got the D.C. Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). It's a strange marriage of the digital and the physical. On one floor, you might have engineers monitoring the city’s cybersecurity grid; on another, you have the administrative heart of the fleet that keeps the streets clean.
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Why 64 New York Avenue Matters for NoMa Real Estate
Real estate in NoMa is basically a gold rush that hasn't slowed down since the early 2010s. But 64 New York Avenue is an outlier. It’s owned by the District, which means it’s not going to be flipped into a "luxury loft" building anytime soon. This provides a weird sort of stability to the block.
Most developers hate "dead" street frontage. This building doesn't have a Starbucks on the ground floor. It doesn't have a boutique gym. It has security entrances and loading docks. For the longest time, critics argued that this was a waste of prime real estate. They wanted it moved to a less expensive area so the site could be used for more apartments.
But here’s the thing: moving a data center is a nightmare.
- The cost of relocating the fiber trunks alone would be astronomical.
- The proximity to other government agencies in the NoMa/Union Station corridor is a functional necessity.
- It serves as a "dark fiber" node for the city.
Actually, the building's presence has sort of anchored the tech-heavy vibe of the neighborhood. SiriusXM is just down the street. NPR is around the corner. While 64 New York Avenue is the "un-cool" version of these, it’s the functional backbone.
The Connectivity Secret
What most people get wrong about this building is thinking it’s just an office. It’s actually one of the most connected points in the city. When the DC-Net program was expanding—aiming to provide high-speed internet to schools and police stations—this was the starting line.
If you live in a nearby apartment like the Ava NoMa or the Elevation, you’re likely benefiting from the massive telecommunications infrastructure that was paved into the ground specifically to serve this building. The neighborhood is basically "over-wired" in the best way possible.
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Architecture of a Data Fortress
Visually, the building is a product of its time. It’s got that heavy, mid-century industrial vibe that has been modernized with glass accents. It’s not "pretty" in the traditional sense. It’s functional.
The windows are smaller than what you’d see in a modern office building, which is actually a benefit for energy efficiency when you’re trying to keep thousands of servers cool. Heat is the enemy of data. If the building were all glass, the HVAC costs would be triple what they are now.
It’s also surprisingly secure. You can’t just wander into the server areas of OCTO. There are layers of biometric security and physical barriers that make it one of the most secure non-military buildings in the District. People sort of underestimate how much sensitive data is sitting right there on New York Avenue. Everything from tax records to personnel files for the entire D.C. government lives within those walls.
The NoMa Impact
NoMa has changed so much that 64 New York Avenue now looks like a relic, but it’s a relic with a purpose. Back in 2005, this area was mostly parking lots and warehouses. When the New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U Metro station opened (now just NoMa-Gallaudet), the land value exploded.
A lot of the surrounding warehouses were razed. The old Uline Arena (where the Beatles played their first U.S. concert) was saved and turned into a flagship REI and office space. But 64 New York Ave stayed the same. It’s a reminder that even in a city obsessed with the "new," you still need the "boring" stuff to keep the lights on.
What Happens Next for 64 New York Avenue?
There are always rumors. Every few years, a new urban planning report suggests that the District should sell the building to a private developer for a few hundred million dollars and move the data centers to a cheaper location in Ward 7 or 8.
It sounds good on paper. But it never happens.
The "sunk cost" of the tech infrastructure inside is just too high. Plus, the building is surprisingly adaptable. We’ve seen more and more municipal services move their digital operations to the cloud, which theoretically frees up space in the building. Instead of the building becoming obsolete, the District just finds new ways to use the space. It’s becoming more of a "collaboration hub" for city agencies that used to be scattered across expensive leased spaces in downtown D.C.
Is it a Good Neighbor?
If you're looking to buy a condo near 64 New York Avenue, you have to weigh the pros and cons.
On the plus side:
- It’s a quiet neighbor. No loud rooftop parties.
- It’s highly secure, which generally means the immediate perimeter is well-lit and monitored.
- It’s a permanent fixture, so you don’t have to worry about a 30-story tower suddenly blocking your view in five years.
The downside? It doesn't contribute to the "street life." It’s a bit of a dead zone at night. While the rest of NoMa is glowing with restaurant signs and foot traffic, this block stays dark and quiet. For some, that’s a dealbreaker. For others, it’s a relief.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you are a business owner looking to move to NoMa, or a resident trying to understand the neighborhood, here is what you need to know about this specific pocket of the city:
Check the Fiber Maps
If you’re a tech startup, being close to 64 New York Avenue is a win. The density of fiber optic cabling in the surrounding streets is among the highest in Washington, D.C. This means lower latency and more provider options for your office.
Understand the Traffic Patterns
New York Avenue is a commuter nightmare. This building sits right on the throat of the city's main entrance from Maryland. If you're visiting the agencies inside, do not try to park on the street. Use the Metro. The walk from the NoMa-Gallaudet station is less than five minutes, and it will save you an hour of circling the block.
Keep an Eye on the Budget
The D.C. Department of General Services (DGS) manages this property. If you’re a contractor or a tech vendor, watching the capital improvement budgets for 64 New York Avenue can give you a heads-up on upcoming city contracts for HVAC, cybersecurity, and physical security upgrades.
Don't Expect a Retail Revolution
Don’t buy property here expecting this specific building to turn into a mall. It is a core infrastructure asset for the District of Columbia. It’s going to remain a government hub for the foreseeable future. Use that stability to your advantage rather than wishing for a change that isn't coming.
The building at 64 New York Avenue isn't going to win any beauty pageants, and it’s not the star of the latest NoMa tourism brochure. But it is the brain of the city. Without it, the "Smart City" initiatives D.C. loves to brag about would have nowhere to sit. It’s a massive, heavy, fiber-filled anchor in a neighborhood that is otherwise constantly in flux.
Next time you’re stuck in traffic at the intersection of New York and Florida Avenues, look over at that big, tan structure. It’s doing a lot more work than you think. It's keeping the city's data safe, its networks running, and its administrative gears turning, all while the rest of the neighborhood focuses on where to get the best brunch.